1. Field of the Invention
The technology described in this patent document relates generally to the field of contouring medical images.
2. Description of Related Art
Contouring is the process of identifying an object within an image by outlining or otherwise distinguishing the object from the rest of the image. Medical images, such as images acquired from CT (computed tomography), MR (magnetic resonance), US (ultrasound), or PET (positron emission tomography) scans, are regularly contoured to identify certain pieces of anatomy within the image. For example, a radiologist or oncologist may contour a medical image to identify a tumor within the image. Software tools are available to assist in this type of “manual” contouring, in which the physician uses the software to create the contour by tracing the boundary of the object or objects within the image.
Three-dimensional scans, such as CT, MRI, and PET scans, produce a series of two-dimensional (2D) image slices that together make up the 3D image. Contouring these types of 3D images typically requires individually contouring each of the 2D images slices, which can be a laborious process. There is therefore a need for improved automation techniques for contouring 2D images slices to generate a 3D contour.